Clematis plant named ‘Evipo027’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification: Genus: Clematis. Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo027’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented varieties.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1997 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo027’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has flowers which are 120 mm in diameter, while the new plant has flowers which are 145 mm in diameter. The pollen parent starts to flower in May while the new plant flowers earlier, typically in April.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo027’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 1998. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo027’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1998. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo027’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo027’.

Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo027’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in open air culture in Yamhill County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evione’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,222 issued Feb. 3, 1998 are compared to ‘Evipo027’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo027’ ‘Evione’ Flower diameter 145 mm 130 to 180 mm General tonality of Red-Purple Group 70 Purple Group 76A with Red- flower color B, blend of Red- Purple Group 71A central Purple Group 71A and bar. 71B central bar

Flower and Flower Bud

-   Blooming habit: Recurrent. The natural flowering period is generally     from April to September. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Normally 35 mm in length. Bud diameter is 17 mm.         -   Bud form.—Broad based. The base is rounded, apex is acute.         -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 144B.         -   Texture.—Lightly pubescent. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Smooth.         -   Length.—25 to 45 mm.         -   Width.—2 mm.         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144A.         -   Strength.—Strong. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Smooth.         -   Shape.—Funnel.         -   Size.—1 mm (h)×4 mm (w).         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144A. -   Flower arrangement:     -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.         -   Borne.—Singly, and from axillary buds borne at the base of             the peduncle.         -   Aspect.—Flowers are oriented upwards.         -   Overlapping.—Somewhat. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 145 mm in diameter and 20 mm             in depth.         -   Profile.—Open flowers are flat on the upper surface, and             concave underneath.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain 6 days on the             plant. -   Tepals:     -   -   Color, upper side.—Red-Purple Group 70 B with a central bar             which is a blend of Red-Purple Group 71A and 71B.         -   Color, lower side.—Red-Purple Group 76B with a central bar             Yellow-Green Group 145C.         -   Color, changes.—After the flowers have been open for about 5             days, the upper surface becomes Red-Purple Group 75A with a             central bar Red-Purple Group 77A. The lower surface becomes             Red-Purple Group 76B with a central bar Green-White Group             157D.         -   Quantity.—Normally 6 to 8 tepals.         -   Size.—60 mm in length by 40 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is             acute, the base is acute.         -   Apex recurvature.—Strong to moderate.         -   Tepal cross section.—Reflexed moderately.         -   Margins.—Entire. Strong undulations of margin observed.         -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off clean from the plant. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—Open.         -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Yellow Group 4D.             Quantity: On average, 85.         -   Filaments.—Color: Green-White Group 157D. Length: 6 mm             average.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 35.         -   Stigmas.—Superior in location relative to the length of the             filaments and the height of the anthers.         -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157D. Length: 11 mm.

Plant

-   Plant form: Climbing. -   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous. -   Size: Seasons growth attains 3 meters in height. Average spread is     45 cm. -   Hardiness: Trials to date show the variety hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature             stems are Greyed-Purple Group 183B.         -   Internodes.—On average, 6 cm between nodes.         -   Length.—Normally 20 cm from the base of the plant to the             flowering portion of the stem.         -   Diameter.—Normally 2 mm.         -   Texture.—Mature stems are lightly pubescent and ribbed. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous, ternate.         -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.         -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 120 mm (l)×110 mm             (w). Leaflets are normally 55 mm (l)×35 mm (w).         -   Abundance.—On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem.         -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 146A. Juvenile             lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Mature upper Yellow-Green             Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Stipules.—Absent.         -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 50 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Lightly pubescent. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Petiolule.—Size: Normally 20 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Leaflet shape.—Somewhat cordate. The apex is mucronate. The             base is rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire, with moderate undulations.         -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth.         -   Thickness.—Average.         -   Glossiness.—Glossy at the undersurface. Upper surface is not             glossy. -   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the     species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,     Phoma clematidina, than some clematis. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. -   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for     climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat     zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo027’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 